Munich,
1934: Johann Shmidt encounters his old commander from the Brownshirts who once beat
him up as a troublemaker (issue #4). The Commander is drinking heavily because
his dreams of Ernst Rohm seizing power have come to naught, as Rohm has become
Hitler’s servant. He confides that Hitler is coming tomorrow, likely to fire
Rohm. Shmidt takes this all in then stabs the man to death for the beating he
gave him. Shmidt and Dieter go to Rohm’s hotel and make their plans. Dieter
will act as a bellboy and see where Hitler is sitting at the meeting and then Shmidt
will go in and kill him and they will escape by boat….
The
Nazis arrive, Rohm and his aide Edmund Heines are arrested on Hitler’s orders
and Heines and another aide are summarily executed in the courtyard. Shmidt
pushes Dieter into standing up, insisting on killing Hitler. So Shmidt dons the
bellhop’s uniform and they take Hitler’s meal order upstairs. They enter the
room and Dieter draws his gun. Shmidt recalls all of the people in his life who
have shown kindness then he overpowers Dieter and shoots him in the head with
his own gun. Hitler’s guards seize Shmidt but Hitler orders him released. As Hitler
consolidates his power, Johann Shmidt is one of his most faithful aides….